1,205 episodes

Intelligence Squared is the home of lively debate and deep-dive discussion. Follow Intelligence Squared wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy four regular episodes per week taking you to the heart of the issues that matter in the company of the world’s great minds. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Intelligence Squared Intelligence Squared

    • Society & Culture

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Intelligence Squared is the home of lively debate and deep-dive discussion. Follow Intelligence Squared wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy four regular episodes per week taking you to the heart of the issues that matter in the company of the world’s great minds. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part One

    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part One

    There are few big thinkers better placed to explain global events than historian Niall Ferguson. He has not just a profound understanding of past crises, but also an exceptional ability to map out the longer term impact that present crises will have on world affairs. For this episode, Ferguson joins us on the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss the predicaments we are currently facing. How can the West deal with the geopolitical and ideological threats posed by what Ferguson calls the axis of ill will – Russia, China and Iran? With localised wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the threat of a crisis over Taiwan, are we sleepwalking towards a Third World War? And what are the likely consequences of the ongoing conflicts for the world economy? Joined onstage by journalist and presenter Ritula Shah, Ferguson explores these pressing questions and shares his insights into the fast-changing global landscape.
    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.
    This is the first of a three-part discussion. Intelligence Squared Members can listen to all three instalments, including the Members-only Part Three, immediately.
    If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
    For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:
    - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts
    - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
    - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events
    - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox
    ...
    Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:
    - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts
    - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
    ...
    Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.
    ...
    Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.
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    • 44 min
    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part Three

    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part Three

    This is a the third instalment of a three-part discussion. There are few big thinkers better placed to explain global events than historian Niall Ferguson. He has not just a profound understanding of past crises, but also an exceptional ability to map out the longer term impact that present crises will have on world affairs. For this episode, Ferguson joins us on the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss the predicaments we are currently facing. How can the West deal with the geopolitical and ideological threats posed by what Ferguson calls the axis of ill will – Russia, China and Iran? With localised wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the threat of a crisis over Taiwan, are we sleepwalking towards a Third World War? And what are the likely consequences of the ongoing conflicts for the world economy? Joined onstage by journalist and presenter Ritula Shah, Ferguson explores these pressing questions and shares his insights into the fast-changing global landscape.

    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.

    This is the third of a three-part discussion. Intelligence Squared Members can listen to all three instalments, including the Members-only Part Three, immediately.

    Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

    ...

    Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.

    https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/

    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part Two

    The World in 2024 with Niall Ferguson: Crisis, Conflict and Consequences, Part Two

    This is a the second instalment of a three-part discussion. There are few big thinkers better placed to explain global events than historian Niall Ferguson. He has not just a profound understanding of past crises, but also an exceptional ability to map out the longer term impact that present crises will have on world affairs. For this episode, Ferguson joins us on the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss the predicaments we are currently facing. How can the West deal with the geopolitical and ideological threats posed by what Ferguson calls the axis of ill will – Russia, China and Iran? With localised wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the threat of a crisis over Taiwan, are we sleepwalking towards a Third World War? And what are the likely consequences of the ongoing conflicts for the world economy? Joined onstage by journalist and presenter Ritula Shah, Ferguson explores these pressing questions and shares his insights into the fast-changing global landscape.

    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.

    This is the second of a three-part discussion. Intelligence Squared Members can listen to all three instalments, including the Members-only Part Three, immediately.

    Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

    ...

    Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.

    https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/

    George the Poet on Combatting the War on Blackness

    George the Poet on Combatting the War on Blackness

    As a performer, London-based George the Poet has helped elevate genres ranging from traditional spoken word to rap and grime over recent years as well as having become a well-known voice commentating on social issues. He has a popular BBC podcast, Have You Heard George's Podcast?, which won the Peabody Award. Plus, last year he curated the writing collection Part of a Story That Started Before Me: Poems about Black British History. This year he returns with a new book – a memoir – Track Record: Me, Music, and the War on Blackness. As well as reflecting on George Mpanga’s own life, it’s a study of broader issues including the cultural forces shaping the music industry and the inherent discrimination within wider capitalism. Joining him in conversation for this episode is Symeon Brown, the award-winning journalist whose work often focuses on how culture and technology interacts with race and class. Brown is a correspondent for Channel 4 News and the author of Get Rich Or Lie Trying, his book focusing on the influencer economy.
    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.
    If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
    For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:
    - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts
    - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
    - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events
    - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox
    ...
    Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:
    - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts
    - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
    ...
    Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access listens.
    ...
    Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.
    https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 52 min
    Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part Two

    Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part Two

    Englishness has been hijacked by the right. The flag of St. George’s Cross is proudly waved at far-right rallies. Conservative politicians insult the Left as being anti-English. And our history has been weaponised by cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia. That's the argument of Caroline Lucas, who came to the Intelligence Squared stage in April 2024 to offer us a radically new way of viewing England and Englishness. Lucas has long been at the forefront of progressive politics in the UK, having twice led the Green Party. Discussing her new book, Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story with political commentator Grace Blakeley, Lucas explores how to redefine nationalism by centering the English people’s history of radical inclusivity, deep-rooted commitment to the natural world and long struggle to win rights for all. These often overlooked stories place the Chartists, the Diggers and the Suffragettes alongside Nelson and Churchill, and draw on a rich literary history to explore our shared challenges of identity and equality today.

    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part One

    Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part One

    Englishness has been hijacked by the right. The flag of St. George’s Cross is proudly waved at far-right rallies. Conservative politicians insult the Left as being anti-English. And our history has been weaponised by cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia. That's the argument of Caroline Lucas, who came to the Intelligence Squared stage in April 2024 to offer us a radically new way of viewing England and Englishness. Lucas has long been at the forefront of progressive politics in the UK, having twice led the Green Party. Discussing her new book, Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story with political commentator Grace Blakeley, Lucas explores how to redefine nationalism by centering the English people’s history of radical inclusivity, deep-rooted commitment to the natural world and long struggle to win rights for all. These often overlooked stories place the Chartists, the Diggers and the Suffragettes alongside Nelson and Churchill, and draw on a rich literary history to explore our shared challenges of identity and equality today.

    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 41 min

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